AOL difficulties

gravitytolls

Okay, please bear with me, as I only know enough about computers to do this, and ebay.

2 mths ago, my folks signed up to AOL broadband. I have it, and they liked it. They were previously on Virgin dial up.

They had connection for one week only, then it wouldn't sign on. Can't remember what it said, but it didn't doit.

Anyhoo, after lots of calls to the helpline, and uninstalling, reinstalling, several times etc., they're still not online. They have probably spent 3-4 hrs on the helpline.

Well, turns out the PC had been built by a chum at work, and teh Windows pro was a copy. It was suggested by AOL and PC world that it may be Microsoft blocking the connection.

So, PC world sold them a new copy of Windows, saying it would overwrite the previous copy.

This resulted in acomplete crash, and the hard drive being wiped.

So, new PC person at work took it and did whatever he needed to do to get it going again, with the new windows.

AOL has been reinstalled, all connectiosn have been checked and double checked, but still no banana.

Any advice woudl be gratefully received.

gdfster

go start
my computer add and remove programmes
select think aol connectivity and when you click remove it asks you if you want to repair or remove select repair

then retry

it may not help but worth a go as my mate had all sorts of problems and when i went to sort it as she couldnt connect it worked for her

hth

caveat_emptor

Do you get an error message and what is the state of the lights on the BB modem when you're trying to connect. It's worth checking the modems on your PC as I had a modem zapped by nearby lightning strike.

alikat_3

I don't know if this will help but this is how you can log on using either AOL software or your chosen browser such as Internet explorer & if you can log in using this method it will mean it's possibly AOL software, while if not it's probably something else. If you want to get rid of AOL software altogether a different method is needed. If using Internet explorer, AOL Toolbar should be automatically installed with the following methodx & by going to the right hand side near the top of page but down a little & clicking on the AOL symbol, you will be taken to AOL home page & will be able to email, play aol games etc.

1. Open up AOL sign on screen.
2. Click onto sign on options
3. Go to dialer settings at top of page.
4. Click on all the check boxes, including "My default dialer is AOL Dialer"
5. Close AOL software
6. At the bottom of PC screen near clock, right click AOL icon & click close/disconnect AOL.
7. click on Internet Explorer & AOL dialler will pop up, enter your user name & password & sign on.

Another quick thought, is it possible a firewall is stopping connection? If so turn off firewall, sign in & sign off & restart PC & hopefully AOL will be picked up, otherwise go to firewall settings & adjust manually. & while this may sound stupid have you checked that everything has been pushed in as far as it will go concerning connection to PC & phone etc?

Mattjimf

did you get the wireless modem/router with it?

gravitytolls

caveat_emptor wrote:

Do you get an error message and what is the state of the lights on the BB modem when you're trying to connect. It's worth checking the modems on your PC as I had a modem zapped by nearby lightning strike.

The first green light is on permenently, the second is flashing on, and the htird isn't on.#

If I hold the cursor over the connectivity symbols on the botton toolbar, it says 'no connection' or 'training mode'.

It isn't wireless. All connections have been checked and rechecked umpteen times.

Have tried getting in via explorer, but there's no connection.

Also, a funny thing. Having reinstalled, there's still no AOL symbol appearing on desktop anywhere, and search can't locate it either, although the screen claims it's been successfully installed.

martin57

OK it seems like you have a voyager modem or suchlike. Just pull blue lead out of moden then a few seconds later connect again. It should go from red arrows in system tray to yellow to finally green and say training before finally settling down to display your download and upload speeds when you have cursor over it. If it sticks at training stage then something wrong , make sure that arrows are green and download and upload speeds shown when cursor over green arrows. Forget about aol software for the moment, use dial up networking (dun)instead.

in windows xp start-connect to-click on show all connections. when the window opens click on create a new connection, tick connect to ineternet then next-then click on setup my connection manually then click on next,then tick connect using a broadband connection that requires a user name and password then next-type aol bb for isp name then next again- (make sure you get thsi right) in user name write your user name in form username@aol.com then put in your paswrod making sure that it is in upper or lower case whatever way it is, then next again-then tick to put a shortcut to aol on your desktop then finish.

this method should work without using aol software (thouth you must have a modem instead of a wireless router)

caveat_emptor

gravitytolls wrote:

The first green light is on permenently, the second is flashing on, and the htird isn't on.#
Also, a funny thing. Having reinstalled, there's still no AOL symbol appearing on desktop anywhere, and search can't locate it either, although the screen claims it's been successfully installed.

Ok, modem is powered up and ready to go but strange that you have no AOL on desktop which suggests an installation problem. You can check the modem's ok by going to Start>programs>BT Voyager 105 (assumption)>configure and run the tests.